PA UC claim closure after missing weekly certification? Need help ASAP!
I completely forgot to file my weekly claim certification last week. Ugh, I don't know how it slipped my mind! Will PA UC automatically close my entire claim because I missed one week? I tried logging in today and everything still looks active, but I'm worried they'll shut everything down. Can someone please tell me what happens next? Do I need to open a brand new claim or can I just resume filing next week? This is my first time on unemployment and I'm so scared of losing my benefits over one stupid mistake.
15 comments
Join the conversation
Paige Cantoni
Don't panic! Missing one week won't automatically close your entire PA UC claim. Your claim remains open for your benefit year (52 weeks from when you applied), but you won't receive payment for any week you don't certify. For the missed week, you unfortunately can't go back and claim it now - that money is essentially forfeited. But you CAN and SHOULD submit your certification for the current week during your regular filing window. Your claim is still active as long as you're within your benefit year.
0 coins
Chad Winthrope
•Thank you so much! That's a huge relief. So my claim itself stays open, I just don't get paid for the week I missed? That makes sense. I'll make sure to file for this week then!
0 coins
Kylo Ren
same thing happened 2 me last month. just keep filing like normal for this week. u dont get $ for the week u missed but ur case stays open
0 coins
Nina Fitzgerald
•This!!! I missed filing twice during my benefit year and my claim stayed active. Just pick up next week and don't miss again!
0 coins
Jason Brewer
PA UC WILL close your claim but only after 2 weeks of not filing!! I learned this the HARD WAY! If you miss 1 week, no problem - just file next week like normal. Miss 2 WEEKS IN A ROW and they make you reopen your claim!!! It's so frustrating because nowhere on their website do they make this clear!!! The system is designed to trip people up!!!
0 coins
Kiara Fisherman
•This is partially correct. Two consecutive missed weeks will make your claim inactive, but you don't have to file a brand new claim - you just need to reactivate it. This is different from having your claim closed completely. You can reactivate through your dashboard by selecting "Reopen a claim" - much simpler than starting over. But yes, filing consistently is important to avoid these hassles.
0 coins
Liam Cortez
When I missed filing my weekly claim, I tried calling PA UC to fix it but kept getting busy signals for 3 days straight. Finally used Claimyr.com to get through - it connected me to an agent in about 20 minutes! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. The agent confirmed my claim was still active and told me exactly when to file next. Just sharing since the regular phone line is impossible to get through.
0 coins
Chad Winthrope
•I've been hearing about that service! Was it worth it? I'm worried I might need to talk to someone later if I have more problems.
0 coins
Liam Cortez
•For me it was, because I needed specific answers about my situation that I couldn't find online. Definitely better than taking time off work to keep calling all day. The rep I got was actually helpful which surprised me!
0 coins
Savannah Vin
im confused about somthing. does reopening a claim mean u lose all ur remaining balance?? or does it just continue from where u were b4? i missed 2 weeks when i was in hospital n had to reopen but got confused by all the questions
0 coins
Paige Cantoni
•Reopening a claim doesn't reset your balance or benefit year. You'll still have access to whatever remaining benefits you had before. The system just needs to verify you're still eligible (not working full-time, still meeting work search requirements, etc). Your original monetary determination with your weekly benefit amount and total claim balance remains the same.
0 coins
Nina Fitzgerald
Set a reminder on your phone for filing day! I do Sunday mornings at 9am every week. Never miss it now!
0 coins
Chad Winthrope
•That's a good idea! I'm going to set an alarm for Sunday morning right now.
0 coins
Kiara Fisherman
To summarize the correct information for anyone else who finds this post: 1. Missing ONE week: Your claim remains open, but you lose that week's payment. 2. Missing TWO consecutive weeks: Your claim becomes inactive and needs to be reactivated (not completely refiled). 3. Your benefit year remains the same (52 weeks from initial filing). 4. Your remaining balance is preserved when reactivating. 5. Work search requirements must still be met for any week you claim. Always check the PA UC website for official information as policies can change: www.uc.pa.gov
0 coins
Chad Winthrope
•Thank you for breaking it down so clearly! This really helps me understand the whole process better.
0 coins